


Afterthought

by billieonholiday



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Humor, M/M, Opposites Attract
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-04
Updated: 2013-06-13
Packaged: 2017-12-10 10:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/784957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/billieonholiday/pseuds/billieonholiday
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam is the good kid who got in with the bad crowd and wants to get out. Louis is the snarky kid who’s only tutoring him because he needs the volunteer hours.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It's yet another F on yet another math test that does it. I'm a tough guy, right? This shouldn't bug me so much, being such an idiot. But it does, and it's slew of awful grades that are piling up in all my classes that make me stop and turn to the teacher just as I'm about to leave second period.

“Hey, Mr. Harvey, can I talk to you?”

Harvey is a good teacher. I mean, you can tell he cares, and he genuinely reaches out to help, so if anyone can help me it’s him. 

“What’s up, Liam?” He swivels around. 

I’m at a loss for words all of a sudden, so I open my mouth and hope something comes out. “I just…I’m falling behind in my classes…” This was such a dumb idea. Why did I do this? “And like, this class especially…you probably know that…and I was wondering if you have any, I don’t know, advice.”

“You mean, private tutorials?”

I shrug. I don’t know. 

“You can come in whenever you need help, Liam, but you have to realize I’m a teacher of nearly a hundred students and I just don’t have the time to catch you up. It’s your responsibility.” He looks me square in the eye before continuing. “But I think it’s awesome that you’re coming for help. Half of kids in this school…” He shakes his head. “Listen, Liam, get a tutor. You’re not going to get anywhere by sitting at home and try to teach yourself. We’re not far into the school year, you can still catch up.”

He’s kind of being an asshole, but he’s right. “Aren’t tutors kind of expensive?” I ask, my mind on my mom and the two jobs she has to work. 

“You don’t have to get a real tutor. Ask a peer or a classmate for help, they can get some volunteer hours or bonus marks.”

“I don’t know.” I blow a puff of air out my lips. “I mean, maybe. I’ll think about it.”

He leans in. “I can tell you’re thinking of blowing this off. Liam, you were the one who came for help. It can take a lot of willpower to do that. So you may as follow through.” I don’t say anything, so he continues. “Can I recommend someone? Louis Tomlinson. He’s in one of my classes. Do you know him?”

“No,” I say. “I mean, yeah, I know who he is, but we’ve never talked.”

“Well, he has my recommendation. He really has to work hard in this class, but he gets great grades, and people like that are the best types of teachers. And I know he was looking to get some volunteer hours.” 

“I’ll think about it,” I repeat. No I won't. “Thanks, Mr. Harvey.”

“Sure.”

I hurry out of there. 

* 

The next week I all but forget about that conversation. I blaze a bit, forget my homework on my kitchen table, contribute minimal effort. Fall farther behind in classes. Get hit on by girls. The only thing I make myself do is go running every evening, put in some time at the boxing ring. But it’s so easy just to cruise along like this, pretend I have no responsibilities.

Then I’m setting the table one night and little Amy comes in. She has a homework assignment with a big A+ in red marker. Some science assignment on the water cycle. She sets it on the table carefully and pushes it towards me. 

I read it over carefully. “Wow, nice,” I tell her. I really am impressed. Then I squint at her. “You didn’t cheat, right?”

She giggles. “No!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, Liam. I want to go to college.” Her little face turns solemn. “I’m gonna buy us nice things and get mom a beach house.”

“I’m the big brother, shouldn’t I be buying the things?” I tease her. “I’m going to college first.”

She waits to see if I’m joking and then laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world. 

My little sister is 10 and even she knows I don’t have a fucking chance. 

So, in the end that’s what does it. I decide to take Harvey’s advice, so I spend the next week secretly scoping out the Tomlinson kid, trying to get the nerve up to talk to him. I can tell he doesn’t know what to think at first, so I tried being discrete because even I knew I was being creepy, but then it became sort of fun – flustering this guy who always seems so collected and even. But all I’m trying to do is size him up. For some reason, even though I’m more popular (look, I’m just being objective here) and probably have at least four inches on him, he’s a little intimidating. From what I can tell, he always seems just pissed off at the world.

So, yeah, I take my time in talking to him. 

*

LOUIS

Our English teacher is pouring his heart out about Macbeth and I really should be taking notes but I can’t concentrate because he’s staring at me again. That guy at the back of the class whom I’ve never spoken to in my life. 

I noticed it two classes ago and pretended to ignore it, thinking maybe he’d zoned out or was high or something, which probably wasn't that unreasonable an assumption to make considering he’s one of those guys that disappears behind the school for a smoke at break time. But no, I keep feeling his eyes on me, and I’m a little sick of it. What, he wants to make fun of me? Whatever, I don’t fucking care, just have a little balls and don’t do it so indirectly. So I whip my head to the side and stare at him straight on. He looks surprised but then gives me a little smirk or a smile or something, the nerve, so I mouth “fuck off” to him and he reddens and turns to the front. Yeah. 

Later the bell rings and I'm shoving my way through the crowds. My locker is in the most crowded hallway of the school, dubbed the Retard Hallway because of the potheads and burnouts who populate under the stairwell. Ah, the smell of marijuana in the morning. I fiddle with my lock, hoping it will cooperate with me today. The goddamned thing is so old and sticky, and some days I can’t even open it. 

“Need some help?” Someone asks, stepping up beside me. I look up to see a tall guy standing next to me. It’s him. 

“No thanks,” I reply. “And I don’t want to buy any weed.” 

He looks confused. “Huh?”

Oh, my god. “Never mind. What’s your name?”

“I’m Liam.” 

“Okay,” I say, and then slowly like he's a foreign exchange student, “So why were you staring at me in English, Liam?”

“Why are you being so hostile?” He’s leaning in too close. 

“I’m not,” I reply, all clipped politeness. I’m really not trying to be, I just don’t have time for this joker. “I’m honestly wondering. I’ve never spoken to you in my life.”

He mumbles and looks at his feet. “This has got off to a bad start.”

I sigh and turn to face him. “Okay, whatever, sorry, I’m having a bad morning. Hi, Liam, I’m Louis.”

“Hi.” He pauses, and I glance up at him. He’s got a typical short quiff, surprisingly serious brown eyes. He’s too tall to be allowed. “Listen, you’re in my math class, with Mr. Harvey – “

“Am I?” I can’t explain why I’m being such an asshole. I guess I’m just like that sometimes. 

“Yeah, you are. Harvey was telling me you wanted volunteer hours, and I just – I know you’re doing really well in that class, and I, I need help.”

I wait to see if he is joking. Then, “Um, no.”

“Why?” He genuinely looks hurt. 

“I’m pretty busy.” I start to walk away, but he’s grabbed me by the wrist. “Hey!” I exclaim, turning back to him. I’m about to tell him to _fuck off me, mate_ , but he’s looking at me with these big desperate eyes. “Please?”

There’s something about how earnest he looks that compels me to say, “Okay, fine.”


	2. Chapter 2

LIAM 

I’m lying on my bed when my phone buzzes with a call. At first I’m not sure who it’s from, until I remember it’s Louis’ number. I don’t have his name in here. I don’t feel like I know him well enough. But I pick up anyway. “Hello?”  
“Hey, uh, Liam.”  
“Hey, man.”  
Hi. Listen, I just called to say I’m sorry for being an asshole today. I felt bad afterwards.”  
“You’re not very good at first impressions.”  
“Me?” he says, sounding incredulous. I’d meant it as a joke, but okay. “At least I can redeem myself. You’re the one with the reputation.”  
“Cool. So what’s my reputation? Dumbass? Burnout? Pick your favourite.” I’m getting a little mad. I don’t get mad easily, but why does this guy think he’s so much better than me?  
“I – whatever. I just called to apologize.”  
“Okay.” There’s a pause.  
“So when do you need help for?”  
“Whenever you can do it, I guess.”  
“Tomorrow? At 4?”  
“Sure.”  
“Okay.” Another pause.  
“I really appreciate this.”  
“You should,” he says.  
“Bye.” 

I see him in the hallway the next day. “Hey,” I say as I pass him, turning, and he looks over his shoulder at me with a confused expression. A minute later I get a text.  
'u sure u wanna be seen talking to me?' The text says.  
'Why not?'  
'Idk. Never mind'  
I don’t know how to respond to that, so I don’t. Then I get,  
'After school, right? library?' 

*

School’s just let out and I’m shoving papers into my backpack when a shape steps up to my locker. “Hey man,” says Zayn, leaning against it. He sticks a cigarette in his mouth but knows he can’t light it till we’re off school property.  
“Hey,” I say.  
“Let’s go blaze.”  
“Nah, man, I can’t.”  
“C’mon. We haven’t seen you lately.”  
“Well…” I shouldn’t, I know it, but whatever. I haven’t blazed in a while. I probably won’t even smoke, I’m trying not to do that anymore, it’s not good for my boxing. I’ll just go and watch. It’ll be quick. “Yeah, whatever, let’s go.”

LOUIS

I’m sitting in the library as it turns to evening outside. I’d been standing outside where we’d agreed to meet, at first, but after ten minutes he wasn’t there and the wind was biting at me, so I went inside. I’m right in the open, too, one of those tables in the middle by the computers. He’d had have to be blind to not see me. But it’s getting on 4:30 and he’s not here. The only people in the library are Asians college students getting their homework done and kids playing violent video games on the library computers so they don’t get in trouble for doing it at home. No Liam. 

I’m getting really mad now. I’m thinking about how I’m going to yell at this kid, maybe find him at school and then have a big scene like in the movies. “Hey man, what the fuck, thanks for blowing me off!” But then I remember he’s a lot taller and probably stronger than me and that kind of stuff doesn’t happen in real life anyway. So I slam my books shut and leave the library, seething silently. I wasn’t the one who offered to do this, yet now I’m the one wasting my time. 

I’m walking up the street when there he is, in the distance. Just the sight makes me angry. I wait until he comes closer. He walks slowly, looking anywhere but me. When he does stop in front of me, he has the decency to look guilty.  
“Thanks a lot,” I say, icy cold.  
“Listen, I’m sorry.”  
“No, you’re not. What, you don’t even have an excuse?”  
“I – no, I don’t an excuse. Only a stupid one. But I’m sorry, I really am. It’s not going to happen again. I need your help. Please.”  
“You’re a loser and you just wanted to waste my time and you’re never going to get anywhere so why even bother?”  
He looks like he’s been slapped, shocked and hurt. I regret those words the second they leave my mouth. I don’t know why I say such hurtful things sometimes. “Shit, I didn’t mean – “  
He takes a deep breath. “No, you’re right. I am a loser and I’m a fucking stoner and I really want to get the hell out of all this and I’m trying but no one seems to have any faith in me and it’s not fucking fair. You’re right. Bye. Sorry for wasting your time.” He turns on his heel and walks away.  
Shit.


	3. Chapter 3

Fridays I work in the school library. It’s an easy way to get some money and it’s not like it’s a hard job anyway, I just have to put books away and tell kids to shut up while the librarian is out on her smoke break. But today, Liam’s in here. It’s been a few days since that ugly scene, which seems kind of surreal now. I haven’t seen him in the halls or anything and I’m not texting him, because I mean it’s not like we were friends in the first place. 

Right now, he's near the back window and he’s slumped with his head in his hands, staring despondently at a math textbook. I’m trying to pretend I haven’t noticed him, and he’s probably doing to same for me. He probably hates me now, I should just leave him be. So I stretch my legs out in the most phenomenal swivel chair ever invented and try to work on some English homework.  
But it’s no use. I can’t help but keep glancing over at him. He just looks so pathetic and sad like a little lost puppy trying to learn calculus. And, okay, I feel bad. _“You’re a loser and you just wanted to waste my time and you’re never going to get anywhere so why even bother?”_ It’s been running through my mind for the past few days. I shouldn’t have said it. My eyes slide over to where he's sitting, regret making me feel a little sick inside and oh, god, before I realize what I’m doing I’m walking towards his table. Why do I always have to be such a good person? 

“Are you _trying ___to look pathetic?”

He looks up at me, confused little puppy eyes. I sigh and pull a chair in. “Look, let’s just start over, yeah?” 

“Uh. Okay,” he says, and gives me a shy kind of smile. I roll my eyes but I'm trying not to smile back. 

* 

An hour later and we’re still in the library. We’re the only ones left and I really should be closing up. “We should get going,” I say reluctantly. “You’re doing really well. We just need to finish the chapter before the test.” 

“Yeah, I guess so.” He stands up and heaves on his backpack. The muscles in his arm tense as he lifts. “Want a ride?” 

“I was just gonna walk, but – “ 

“In this weather?” We both look doubtfully out the window at the pouring rain. He jingles his car keys. “Come on, Louis, it’ll make me feel so bad to make you walk home.” 

“Okay," I concede. "That would actually be really great.” No way am I walking home in this rain. 

His car is a rusting D41 Volvo stationwagon. I can’t help but snort when I see it and he shrugs apologetically. “It was cheap but it gets me where I need to go.” 

We climb in and start to drive. He drives cautiously through the rain, which pours down the windows. It's warm in here and I don't know where to put my hands all of a sudden. They feel awkward in my lap, so I start to rifle through the CDs in the glove box. “You’re a little nosy,” he says, but smiles. 

“You’ve got good taste,” I say. There's really a little of everything in here. “It's kinda surprising, honestly.” 

“Why?” 

“I just figured you were a Top 40 kind of guy.” 

“I am. I like everything.” A song he obviously knows comes onto the radio and he starts to hum along, fingers tapping along the steering wheel. I notice how wide his hands are, splayed out like that, and I steal a glance at his face, his brown eyes focused on the road. Then he looks over at me before I can look away. “I like this song,” he grins. 

“Me too,” I say, a little breathless for some reason. Then he asks me where I live, and I tell him, and it's surprisingly not far away from his own house. "Davies Street, right?" He asks, as he turns down the road. 

"Yeah, it's here." We pull up to my driveway. No cars parked. My parents aren't home yet, obviously. When are they ever home before dinner? The house looks dark and cold and uninviting and all of a sudden I really, really don't want to have to leave the warmth of this car and have to eat dinner by myself alone again. 

I think Liam sees my hesitation as I gaze out the car window. "Hey - " He touches my shoulder and I look over. "You want to come over for dinner? We can finish the chapter." 

"Yeah," I reply, relieved, not even bothering with the whole _Oh no, it's okay, I don't want to intrude_ type thing. "Yeah, sure." 

**Author's Note:**

> hey, not sure if i should bother to keep writing this, leave a comment maybe? yes, liam has a little sister named amy in this. :p  
> follow me on tumblr? nopizzaleftbehind


End file.
